DAVID LIEBMAN | MARC COPLAND — Bookends (2002) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The title of this CD might imply that saxophonist Dave Liebman and pianist Marc Copland signify two jazz musicians who share similar visions and musical aspirations. The adage that like minds think along parallel paths serves as an underlying condition for the artists' third collaboration for the Switzerland-based hatOLOGY record label. This time, the instrumentalists work as a duo, performing a few originals amid modern jazz standards. They wittily reconfigure Herbie Hancock's classic "Maiden Voyage," where the duo unassumingly sneaks the primary theme into the grand scheme of things. With this two-CD set, the musicians glide through a sequence of meticulously enacted improvisations amid a delightful and generally probing rendition of Miles Davis' "Blue in Green," among other familiar works. Nonetheless, the artists' synergy seemingly sparks creativity here. Some of these pieces are marked by freely organized tradeoffs, to coincide with wistful melodies and bluesy dreamscapes. Sure, they turn up the heat on occasion, yet it is all about intuitive responses, delicately enacted frameworks, and memorable melodies, as they tend to collapse the history of modern jazz into a uniformly arranged production that most assuredly emanates from the heart. Strongly recommended. Glenn Astarita   Tracklist :
Credits :
Piano – Marc Copland
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – David Liebman

JOHN ABERCROMBIE QUARTET - Up and Coming (2017) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When pianist Marc Copland formally joined the John Abercrombie Quartet for 2013's wonderful 39 Steps, he brought with him the fruit of the musical relationship between himself and the guitarist that had been established some four decades earlier with Chico Hamilton, and in the fusion band Dreams. Their evolution continued the guitarist's participation on several of the pianist's albums, and as sidemen playing in the same bands with Kenny Wheeler and David Liebman. Bassist Drew Gress, who has worked with both men separately over the years, is a further link in the chain, while drummer Joey Baron has played with the guitarist often enough to be intimately familiar with his compositional and improvisational processes.
Abercrombie wrote five of these eight tunes, Copland contributed a pair, and the group offers a startling read of Miles Davis' nugget "Nardis." It's in the reinvention of the latter number where this band showcases its greatest strengths. While they remain faithful to the song's harmony and spirit, they open up its inner space a moment at a time, almost imperceptibly at first. Abercrombie parses his phrases, albeit fluidly, to reveal the hidden magic in Davis' nuances, as Copland follows through and around them to crystallize its striking chorus. There's a great deal of magic in the originals as well. Opener "Joy" commences with a poignant minor-lyric statement, picked up by Copland before the pair stagger the melody and begin a gradual yet emotive and inquisitive interplay. Gress accents the changes while Baron adds dimension and texture with his whispering cymbal work. The pianist's solo highlights each melodic fragment with canny lyricism. The guitarist's "Flipside" is brief, but its swinging tempo and tight changes spotlight the band breezing through post-bop with zest, humor, and chops to spare. A more complex side of that nature is expounded upon in Copland's "Silver Circle," providing an opportunity for Abercrombie to underscore the edges in a rounded yet knotty solo. The pianist's "Tears," with its processional yet lithe chord voicings, hushed cymbals, and muted tom-toms, is initially so gentle and tender, it momentarily distracts from the darkness within. Abercrombie's break caresses the melody's haunting frame; Gress picks apart its elements and exposes its spine reinforced subtly by Baron, and Copland opens the seam to expose drama, vulnerability, and loss. The set concludes with the guitarist's "Jumbles," a jocular, midtempo workout that juxtaposes angles and breezy harmony with a varying rhythmic palette. Up and Coming clocks in at under 50 minutes. Its compositional and improvisational economy is countered by the quartet's disciplined ability to colorfully and authoritatively illustrate an abundance of creative ideas without hinting at compromise.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     Joy 4:12
John Abercrombie
2     Flipside 2:53
John Abercrombie
3     Sunday School 7:18
John Abercrombie
4     Up and Coming 5:50
John Abercrombie
5     Tears 7:34
Marc Copland
6     Silver Circle 7:06
Marc Copland
7     Nardis 6:21
Miles Davis
8     Jumbles 5:57
John Abercrombie
Credits :
Double Bass – Drew Gress
Drums – Joey Baron
Guitar – John Abercrombie
Piano – Marc Copland

ETHEL ENNIS - If Women Ruled the World (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is a historic release on two levels. It was one of the first recordings of new jazz for Savoy in a couple decades (unfortunately the label's venture into recording new music did not last long) and it was singer Ethel Ennis' first recording in quite some time. For this project, she interprets a dozen songs written by women, ranging from "God Bless the Child" and "Willow Weep for Me" to more recent songs by Joan Osborne, Joan Armatrading, Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, Carole King, and herself ("Hey You"). The performances range from swinging pieces to folk music with Ennis assisted by pianist Marc Copland, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, guitarist John Abercrombie, soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, and a couple different rhythm sections. This is a fine effort, making one wish that Ethel Ennis would record much more often. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1  Spider Web 5:07
    Written-By – Chris Palmaro, Gary Michael Lucas, Joan Osborne, Richard E. Chertoff, Sammy Merendino
2  If Women Ruled The World 5:00
    Written-By – Joan Armatrading
3  God Bless The Child  5:55
    Written-By – Arthur Herzog, Jr., Billie Holiday
4  You Gotta Be 4:44
    Written-By – Ashley Ingram, Des'ree
5  For Free 5:33
    Written-By – Joni Mitchell
6  Sometimes I Don't Wanna Go Home 4:43
    Written-By – Joan Armatrading
7  Tell It Like It Is  6:32
    Written-By – Tracy Chapman
8  So Far Away 4:08
    Written-By – Carole King
9  When I Need You 3:14
   Written-By – Albert Louis Hammond, Carole Bayer Sager
10  Willow Weep For Me  5:45
    Written-By – Ann Ronell
11  Nick Of Time  4:08
    Written-By – Bonnie Raitt
12  Hey You  4:48
Written-By – Ethel Ennis
Credits :
Arranged By – Ethel Ennis (faixas: 12), Marc Copland (faixas: 1 to 11)
Bass – Drew Gress (faixas: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8), Ron McClure (faixas: 3, 6, 9 to 12)
Drums – Billy Hart (faixas: 3, 6, 9 to 12), Dennis Chambers (faixas: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8)
Guitar – Gene Bertoncini (faixas: 6, 10, 11), John Abercrombie (faixas: 4, 6, 7)
Piano – Marc Copland (faixas: 1 to 12)
Soprano Saxophone – Jane Ira Bloom (faixas: 5, 8)
Trumpet – Ingrid Jensen (faixas: 1, 2, 4, 7)
Vocals – Ethel Ennis (faixas: 1 to 12) 

JOHN ABERCROMBIE QUARTET — 39 Steps (2013) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

There is an easy familiarity among the participants on the John Abercrombie Quartet's 39 Steps. Each of its members -- guitarist, pianist Marc Copland, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Joey Baron -- have played together in various situations for decades. In the case of Abercrombie and Copland, their association goes back some 40 years to Chico Hamilton's touring group and the fusion band Dreams. Both Baron and Gress have played with the guitarist and pianist on and off since the '90s. The predominate mood here is linear post-bop and lyric balladry, though there is an overarching group meditation on the pieces titled for Alfred Hitchock's films: Abercrombie composed six pieces here (including "Vertigo" and the title track); Copland two (including "Spellbound"), and there's a group improvisation called "Shadow of a Doubt." The pianist's "LST" is a midtempo number with an elaborate melody and a gorgeous solo by the composer showcasing motivic invention in the upper register accompanied by gorgeous chord voicings from Abercrombie. The lush, melodic invention in the guitarist's "Bacharach" offers the pianist a platform to build a multi-hued timbral spectrum, while Abercrombie slips along its underside in an understated yet intricate solo, Gress punctuates his lines with rich wooden tones and Baron whispers along on snare and cymbals. Copland's "Spellbound" is as mysterious as its title implies. Abercrombie's dual string intro is followed by Gress's, which is darkly illumined by the pianist's middle-register chordal inventions and Baron's slippery shuffle. The guitarist's solo follows a scalar line, purposely syncopating his movements and creating a gentle swing. The title track is one of the loveliest ballads Abercrombie has composed. It makes full use of both the piano's and guitar's possibilities as chord instruments, but its solos all move fluidly along subtle yet intensely lyrical lines. The set closes on the most unusual version of "Melancholy Baby" ever committed to tape, though even in its angular rhythmic thrust and contrapuntal individual statements, exhibits a keen sense of listening and melodic counterpoint. Abercrombie's 39 Steps offers the sound of a veteran quartet playing at the height of its individual members' intuitive and collective abilities.  
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1 Vertigo 6:23
Composed By – John Abercrombie
2 LST 6:51
Composed By – Marc Copland
3 Bacharach 7:21
Composed By – John Abercrombie
4 Greenstreet 6:15
Composed By – John Abercrombie
5 As It Stands 4:08
Composed By – John Abercrombie
6 Spellbound 6:53
Composed By – Marc Copland
7 Another Ralph's 5:22
Composed By – John Abercrombie
8 Shadow Of A Doubt 3:12
Composed By – Drew Gress, Joey Baron, John Abercrombie, Marc Copland
9 39 Steps 8:36
Composed By – John Abercrombie
10 Melancholy Baby 4:37
Composed By – Ernie Burnett, George A. Norton
Credits :
Double Bass – Drew Gress
Drums – Joey Baron
Guitar – John Abercrombie
Piano – Marc Copland
Producer – Manfred Eicher